Hinamori Amu: Princess of Mafia Royalty
by Lace Ashdown
Summary: Amu is the natural kick-out girl. She creates trouble, loves trouble and is trouble. People fear her because of her natural, badass attitude. Now, she faces another new school, new classmates and new places. See how she lives through deception, chaos, hope, change, love and same ol' TROUBLE.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE:**

Have you ever heard the word 'fear_'?_

I grew up knowing the fact that a lot of people feared me. They worked hard for me to be pleased - I work hard for them to suffer.

No one disagreed with me. Better yet, no one dared to. They were too afraid because I was born from a long streak of powerful people. Rich, powerful, dirty people.

My mother worked as the CEO of a very prominent international fashion magazine company. My father, on the other hand, held the title of Japan's Youngest Millionaire. They both carried such great profession that I can't help but wonder: Why on Earth did they still involve themselves with the mafia?

Yes, my parents were mafia lords. Shocker, isn't it? My father's family had long been involved with the black market and the mafia world. I even lived in a mansion guarded by mafia myself.

In my mother's early teenage years, she was already exposed to the underground society. She worked as the right hand of my grandfather - who was the head of the mafia at that time. And that was how my parents met.

Five years after I was born, Grampa was assassinated. And so, my father succeeded his dad. In the early years of my childhood, I was constantly reminded that intact secrecy is the only secret of my continuous life; that if ever my real identity was exposed, I'd sure be dead in no time.

Because of that I was forced to learn a handful of martial arts for protection. But the truth was, they probably were training me to be the next Executioner, the mafia's assassin. Still, that's only my theory.

I didn't know much about the group because I wasn't allowed to snoop around the mafia. Once I tried to slip inside a car that headed to a deal with someone in the black market and it ended up with twelve people shot dead just to conceal my identity.

Maybe that's why I love trouble a lot. Because I was born living it. Trouble was a constant companion in my life. And maybe that's why people hate me, too.

They say a lot of things about me. Namely conceited, arrogant, snob and even the b-word intended to be used only for she-dogs. I didn't care.

But that was until I met this group of people. And _him._

I am Hinamori Amu and this is my story.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Sooooo...this is a new story I'm working on. *cheers* Apparently, my long lost notebook still hasn't decided to show itself yet. But don't worry cause I will still be looking for it. Anyway, I had this crazy story stuck in my head since like...forever.

What do you think of the prologue? Did I manage to pick your interest? I sure hope I did. *giggles like a maniac*

I will be writing this one for now but I will update on my other Amuto stories as soon as I find the (darn) notebook.

Please don't forget to review. Lace really loves long reviews. Mwehehe ^w^

Hold on. I'll post the first chapter soon. :D

With all the love for writing,

Lace Ashdown

P.S. This is an AMUTO fanfic. I won't - not in a million years - do a TADAMU story. (sorry TADAMU fans, but Ikuto onii-sama is just smexy)

P.P.S. This story won't have any magic-related part. Though, the characters (specially the shugo charas) will remain tucked in there somewhere. And again, please review this. Sankyuuu ^w^


	2. Chapter 1: Acquaintances

**CHAPTER 1:**

"You are completely insane if you even think for one second that we are getting back together after what you did-" Those were the words the indigo-haired girl said - or more likely screeched - before she turned and ran smack to me.

It was my first day in my new school. Naturally, I was yet again expelled from another school which was, by the way, my fifth one since I graduated from junior high. My father, who never ceased being able to pull all the right strings, had me enrolled in one of the few remaining prestigious, private schools left that haven't kicked me out yet. This time it was a boarding school, Charanari High. Yes, I did find the name strange. But hey, who was I to judge? Even I accepted the fact that I was utterly strange and weird because of what I did and will do.

The girl fell on her butt then, looked up at me. "E...to, gomenasai. Gomen, gomen," she said as she stood up and brushed invisible dirt off her uniform.

**[gomenasai=I'm sorry; gomen=sorry]**

"Daijoubou-desu," I said flatly as she repeatedly bowed in front of me.

**[daijoubou=it's fine]**

The girl made nervous sounds and scratched her back. I simply watched her, assessing her as she fidgeted. She had a long indigo hair tied in a ponytail that fell just shy of her waist. Her eyes had a very light honey color.

"Nade-chan! Please listen to me!" a blonde boy appeared behind her and begged. "Please, please, please,"

The guy looked miserable enough but the girl didn't bother looking at him. Clearly, they were some sort of a couple. Or else students wouldn't be staring at us like we were causing a scene - which clearly, we were. And there's nothing I hate more than a crowd staring at me.

I backed away, effectively detaching myself from humiliation and went straight to the director's office.

* * *

The director pushed his eyeglasses up his nose bridge and put my records back in its envelope. He looked stern as he read my file earlier but his face gave nothing away right now.

"You seem to have very colorful high school records, uhh..." he looked back at my records, "Hinamori-san," he said as he intertwined his fingers.

I sighed. "Yes, I do. This is actually my sixth school in three years if I remember it right,"

The director raised one brow but said nothing. He just handed me my schedule when someone knocked on the door.

"Come on in, Fujisaki-kun!" the director called.

The door clicked and in came the girl who bumped me earlier...but now she wore a boy's uniform. What the heck is going on here?

"Fujisaki-kun will be the one to show you around, Hinamori-san. Go on now, you wouldn't want to be late on your first day," said the director and waved us away.

I followed 'Fujisaki-kun' outside and wordlessly walked beside him...or her. Whatever. He/She seemed to pick up that I didn't want to talk so he/she spoke right away.

"I'm Fujisaki Nagihiko. You're?"

"Hinamori Amu," I said immediately.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Hinamori-san," he/she said.

"I can't say the same to you since you bumped me and fell on your butt earlier," my mind was already processing how fast he/she was able to change into a different uniform when he/she suddenly chuckled.

"I'm guessing the person you saw was my twin sister, Nadeshiko," he said.

Well, that was a little stupid of me. I didn't even think of that.

"Oh, right," I mumbled.

We stopped in front of a closed door labeled ROOM 135. Then, he surprised me when he opened the door for me like a gentleman. The teacher in front looked our way. Apparently, we were late. Way to go for first day, huh?

"Gomenasai, Nikaidou-sensei. I was asked to bring a student in our class," Nagihiko said to the male teacher.

The teacher's gaze shifted from Nagihiko to me. His eyes drilled into me in a flash, making me cringe uncharacteristically.

"I know not of a student being transferred in my class. Is the director forewarned about this?" Was it just me, or this teacher person probably had the most ancient tongue in this era? Forewarned? Seriously?

I cut my eyes to Nagihiko who awkwardly scratched the back of his head and looked back at the ancient Nikaidou guy.

"Actually, _sir," _I sarcastically emphasized the word, "we were just from his office a while ago. And if my schedule is correct, I am in your class now," I handed him my schedule but he gave it back immediately.

"Very well. Fujisaki-kun, you may take your seat. As for you," his eyes drilled into me once more, "I do appreciate it if you'd introduce yourself to the class,"

I nodded subtly. And again, I'm in a situation I hate most.

"My name is Hinamori Amu. Nice to meet 'cha," I kept my hands tucked inside the side pockets of my skirt.

The class went silent. Then, they gawked. Really, it was VERY awkward.

Nikaidou cleared his throat. "You may sit wherever the manner of your choice is, Himamori-san,"

I gritted my teeth. "It's Hi-NA-mori,"

But the weirdo of a teacher wasn't paying attention anymore.

* * *

I was stuffing books inside my locker when a small fist suddenly slammed on the locker beside mine.

"Okay. Look, I don't know what's with you but keep your paws off my boyfriend. Got it?" a girly voice said.

I stared at the girl. She was a few inches shorter than me but the menace in her voice and the hateful glare she shot me told a different story.

"Excuse me?" I raised a brow at her. This wouldn't be my usual response but I was really caught off guard. What boyfriend?

She flipped her knee-length, curly blonde hair and fixated her topaz eyes at me. "Don't play dumb with me, pinkie. I know you've been hanging around Nagi all day," and finished the sentence with a dramatic eyeroll.

"First, you don't call me pinkie. Second, Nagihiko is the one hanging around me. Not the other way around. And third, who the hell are you?" I shut my locker door. HARD.

She automatically gasped and flinched. "Have you always been this delusional? And you even call him that way?"

**[A/N: Do remember that Japanese people find it disrespectful to call someone by their first name without the honorific especially when you just met them.]**

I sighed. The girl just practically oozed drama. Might as well end it. "You know what, I don't have time for this. Besides, Nagihiko was only showing me around because the director asked him to,"

* * *

By the end of the day, the news about the new girl - me - and Rima - the short, curly blonde - fighting was all over the campus. Apparently, she and Nagihiko were something like campus royalties and were officially boyfriend and girlfriend. And as much as I hated to say it, I got caught in a tangle with them.

Well, so much for no fighting in the first day.

A tall guy suddenly jumped in front of me right after I stepped out of the school's back door. The one in the front just had too many teenagers at once and an anti-social person like me could only handle a few.

"I heard you got in trouble with the Queen," he said a little too innocently.

I shot him a death glare. "What are you, her knight?"

The tall kid chuckled, his sandy brown curls bouncing as he flipped them smugly, "Actually, I'm the Jack,"

"Right! The male donkey," I said with mock enthusiasm.

He blushed furiously. Though, I have no idea if it was because of embarrassment or anger.

Another tall kid appeared but he was probably an inch or two shorter than the brown-haired one. The guy had a strange cyan-colored hair.

"Hey, you don't get to talk to royals like that," he snapped.

My left eyebrow automatically quirked up. The guy had no idea what he just asked for. "Whatever," I said and walked away.

"Hinamori!" the brown-haired called.

I stopped walking but didn't look back. He caught up to me and suddenly he was by my side.

"We were just fooling around. I'm Kuukai. This is Daichi," he motioned for the cyanhead. "We just wanted to ask if Rima did something harsh to you. The school council in this school is called the Guardians and we have the Jacks' Chair so–"

I cut him off with a wave of my hand. Was this guy really serious? They named themselves after decks of cards?

"I don't know if you already know this but...I'M. NOT. INTERESTED," I said.

* * *

My sister Ami was jumping on the sofa when I got home. For an eight-year-old, I could definitely say that she had the maturity of a four-year-old child.

I heard myself sigh.

Where the heck was her nanny?

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan!" Ami squealed and ran towards me.

The thing about Ami was...she loved me more than she probably should. And for that, I'd be forever thankful.

I messed with her chestnut hair. "Where's Baaya-san?"

The little girl moved my hand away from her head and frowned. A little. "She went to the store to buy me some milk,"

"SHE LEFT YOU HERE ALONE?"

For as long as I can remember, nannies, guards and other security staff at home shouldn't leave me or Ami alone in the house. It was considered as a major disobedience.

My sister cringed. I guess my voice came out a little louder than I intended. "She didn't leave me alone. Rikka's here, too,"

Rikka Hiiragi, the annoying little girl who happened to be Ami's bestfriend, was the nanny's daughter. They were so close they could pass for twins. Rikka and her mother also lived in our house. They have been in service for about five years.

The nanny...left Ami with her vulnerable eight-year-old daughter. GREAT.

And as if her name alone was jinxed, Rikka came trotting down the hall, clinging on the cookie jar as if a hungry monster. The girl, in fact, was also known as the Cookie Monster.

I sighed a second time. Not that I didn't like Rikka but I really felt tired after a long day in Charanari High. So, I dismissed the cookie-crazed girls and climbed up my room.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

It's short, I know. Forgive me. I just can't seem to find the right words (I'm thinking of burying my head in a dictionary for a while). Still, first chapter is DONE! XD

I'm betting many would ask, "Where's Ikuto?". Well, you guys are gonna have to wait. I'm still thinking of how they should meet. Mwehehe.

Anyways, please tell me what you think of this story. Remember, loooooonnnggggg reviews inspire me a lot. And if I'm inspired, I might put an Amuto moment in the next chappie. Haha.

'Mmkay... Enough author rant for now. Don't forget to review! Thanks! ^w^

With all the love for writing,

Lace Ashdown


	3. Chapter 2: The Royal Guardweebs

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Hello. This is the second chapter. I really appreciate the first five reviews I got from the first chappie. Thanks!**

**Anyways, I wanted to warn you guys that this chapter (and probably the following other ones) will have some swearing. I'm so sorry if you find it offensive but I did rate this one M. And it's just hard to connect with Amu's badass-rebel-girl attitude if she won't cuss.**

**Again, I'm sorry. Tell me if the swearing's too much, I'll try to minimize it.**

**Please don't forget to review. Thanks a lot and happy reading!**

**With all the love for writing,**

**Lace Ashdown**

* * *

**CHAPTER 2:**

I slammed my fist on my locker and shocked over half of the students scurrying down the hall. The door happened to jam and the stupid code was stupidly no use. I gave the door another pull but it didn't budge.

"Damn it!" I cursed out loud and received several gasps and hateful comments from the girls passing by.

A low growl emerged from my chest. This day definitely wasn't mine and my temper was slowly rising because of the incessant talk about me and Rima yesterday. Was this school, perhaps, the Gossip Capital of Japan? Some hospitality they got here.

My foot connected with the base of my locker and surprisingly, it...opened. Maybe it just wanted to see who really the boss around here was. I yanked several things from my messenger bag, shoved the bag itself in my locker and walked down the hall - finally alone. Yesterday, right after last period, I spoke with Nagihiko and told him not to guide me around anymore.

Apparently, he was entirely clueless about the trouble between me and his snobby girlfriend. I was doubtful about it but since he didn't bring it up, I didn't say anything either. I didn't think I need more drama from this school, anyway.

I was passing the Girls' Comfort Room when the door flung open and slammed right in my face. My knees buckled and I stumbled backwards, inefficiently dropping my things as I fell. Two blondes peeped behind the door and gasped. Their looks particularly showed horror.

"Oh, shit. Gomen," the taller blonde said. Her hair was in high pigtails that made her look young. She took off her shades and amethyst eyes popped out.

She and the other blonde crouched down and helped me pick up my stuff. I gathered those in my arms and stood.

"You okay?" the shorter one asked. Her hair was shorter and was curled at the bottom. She held back the rest of the fringe with a purple hair clip.

I brushed invisible dust off my uniform as the short blonde's soft, blue eyes gazed on me.

"Yeah," I finally said.

My eyes travelled up and down. Both of them seemed normal. No hateful glares, no guarded eyes, no hired-killer auras. Nothing at all.

"It's Hinamori-san, right?" the one in pigtails asked. Her amethyst eyes sparkling with delight.

Though the two of them seemed okay, their lack of hostility still caught me off guard. I was used to snobbish people because most of the time, I am also one. But the girls didn't feel fake. In fact, they looked completely genuine. I gazed back at them for a minute. Usually, the only people friendly with me were either my family or assassins. Both girls looked none of those.

"I'm Yamamoto Lulu de Morselle," the shorter one extended a hand to me and I took it. If ever they were really assassins, it was a bad move for her to make.

"Hinamori Amu," I said and shook her hand, still a little suspicious of the girls.

"We know! I'm Hoshina Utau," the taller one said.

I grunted. Of course they knew me - the transferee who tried to steal their oh-so-precious and oh-so-perfect Queen's boyfriend. No wonder they were so horrified earlier. Maybe they weren't assassins after all. Maybe they're just that little witch's minions.

"Nobody ever spoke with Rimacabre that way before! And we totally love you for that. The girl just practically oozed drama all over the place!" Lulu ended her sentence with a perfect imitation of Rima's dramatic eye roll.

My left brow quirked up. The girl eerily echoed what I thought yesterday. Was that Rima kid like that to everyone? Or did these two just happen to break through her perfect act? I mentally shook my head. There was no way I'd involve myself in more fights. Because the more invisible I was, the safer I'd be.

The girls looked excitedly at me. It seemed like they wanted to talk on and on about how bitchy that Rima was. But it's no use. As much as I wanted to make that 'queen' kneel before me, my own protection was my first priority.

I was about to tell them not to drag me into whatever was going on with them and Rima when the bell signaling the end of first period.

Great. It's only my second day in school and I already skipped a class. I sighed and turned my back to the blondes.

"Uh...see you around. I guess," I muttered and walked away.

* * *

"You're kidding me! Ikuto-sama walked you to school this morning?" the girl at the other table squealed to the other girl across her.

I sighed and munched down on my cheese burger, completely bored. Ever since second period, there had been an unceasing talk about this 'Ikuto-sama' finally coming back to school. Apparently, the guy was in my first period but since I didn't make it there, I didn't meet the supposedly cool guy.

The girl across giggled. "He didn't really walk me to school. We just kind of...walked together," she said and blushed a furious shade a red.

"That's practically the same thing!" the other one said. "I wonder why he didn't use his motorcycle, though. Could it be that his-"

But she wasn't able to finish her sentence because the cafeteria door swung open and in came the Charanari High 'Royal Geeks' - I mean 'Royal Guardians'. Nagihiko and Rima came in first, holding hands. The blonde horror spotted me and shot me a look saying 'that's right, he's MINE'. Huh. As if I care.

The whole cafeteria - except me - ooh-ed. It was like a whole bunch of students suddenly got hypnotized and thought they were seeing celestial people. Their reactions would make people think the Guardians casted a spell on them or something.

After the 'royal' couple, the rest of the Guardians came in as group. I saw Nagihiko's twin sister, Nadeshiko, talking silently with the blonde boy called Tadase. According to Saaya, the one who forced me to listen to her 'briefing' about the guardians, Nadeshiko and Tadase were also an official campus couple. But most of the girls in school still swooned around him. And for that reason, his girlfriend always tended to get jealous.

I vaguely remembered Nadeshiko yelling at Tadase yesterday. Seemed like she forgave him really fast. Seriously, though, what kind of person could make a seemingly nice girl that mad? He must really be out of his mind...like Saaya.

The girl definitely loved to talk about the Guardians incessantly. I had the feeling she had stalking tendencies but didn't tell her. She even shoved a list of the Guardians' Position inside my locker. Saaya was starting to get kind of annoying, actually. But the list went like this:

King's Chair - Fujisaki Nagihiko

Queen's Chair - Mashiro Rima

Duke's Chair - Hotori Tadase

Duchess' Chair - Fujisaki Nadeshiko

Jacks' Chairs - Souma Kuukai & Hanazawa Daichi

Aces' Chairs - Yuiki Yaya & Tsukino Pepe

Knights' Chairs - Lockhart Rhythm, Shinozaki Kusukusu, Fuwa Kiseki, Lockhart Temari

Joker's Chair - (empty)

The Guardweebs seemed to still have an empty slot. And obviously, the students here - especially the girls - would kill for something like that. I didn't know what those Guardians actually do but that's because I didn't bother to ask. Anyhow, I couldn't care less what their job descriptions really were as long as they stay out of my way.

I stood up and went to the trash bin to ditch my soda can. But before I got there, Rima had already blocked my way. She raised a well-plucked blonde eyebrow at me and crossed her arms. I was actually surprised that she didn't have minions backing her up. Who knew, maybe she didn't need one? But with an aura like hers, I could only guess.

"I see we've finally understood each other," Rima held her head high but it still didn't do anything with our huge height difference.

I refrained myself from laughing at her. She looked like a child standing up to a bully but was still scared as hell. Her defiant shoulders were tensed up and her breathing was over-controlled. Unconsciously, I wondered if she was going to hurl.

"Maybe I do understand you...a little. But seeing that you actually walked here just to tell me that, totally screams that you don't get me yet," I stared at her impassively, waiting for her to step aside.

Rima huffed and puffed her cheeks. I have to admit, she looked really cute that way. Almost as cute as Mr. Sunshine, Ami's recently-deceased hamster.

"You don't know what kind of trouble you got yourself into, Hinamori," she hissed.

With that, I finally couldn't take it anymore and chuckled. And she had the guts to talk to me about trouble, huh? Her brows knitted in fury; cheeks slightly pink with embarrassment; and fists clenched so hard they looked really white.

"You should see the look on your face," I said right after that. "Anyway, step aside,"

Rima stepped aside, alright. But as soon as I got close to the gigantic trash bin, she shoved me towards it. My foot slipped and everything seemed to go slow motion. I thought I was really going to fall but then a hand in a black, studded fingerless glove reached out and pulled me so I wouldn't fall, efficiently saving me from embarrassing myself in front of the whole school.

"You've really been frequently causing mischiefs around here, dear Queen. Seriously, we're considering of dethroning you," a voice behind me said. The gloved-hand was still clutching my arm.

Rima glared meat cleavers at the boy behind me, her voice trembled with fury as she spoke, "You wouldn't dare, Tsukiyomi. You wouldn't dare!" and she stomped away as quickly as she shoved me earlier.

Then, he mumbled something like, "I really hate seeing girls fighting,"

I twisted my arm away so he would let go. "Uh...thanks," I said and looked up at him. Jeez, the guy was really tall. He had an impressive purplish-blue hair.

"You okay?" he asked.

I nodded and tried to casually get away from the guy. Not that I wasn't thankful or anything, but the girls in the cafeteria were staring at us like there was a movie going on.

The boy grabbed my arm gently. "Wait. I don't think we've met before,"

"We haven't," I flatly said.

"Come on," he said and dragged me towards the other door.

I tugged my arm away a few seconds after we went out the door. "Are you crazy? You don't even know me and you drag me down the hall like we're friends or something,"

He shoved his hands inside his pocket and stared curiously at me. "Look, you just had a heated conversation with the 'Queen'," he air-quoted the word and pocketed his hands again, "You wouldn't stay in there a little longer if you don't want your pretty pink hair to smell like eggs,"

"Who are you again?"

He rolled his golden eyes. "Right. Forgot 'bout that. I'm Tsukiyomi Yoru. Nice to meet 'cha,"

* * *

My phone rang before I opened my locker. I checked the caller ID. It was Dad.

"Yeah?" I answered.

[_Don't come home tonight.]_

"What? What happened?" Dad's lack of emotion in his voice sent alarms blaring in my head. The only time his voice sounded like that was when he had bad news and wouldn't tell me about it.

[_Stay in your condo for tonight. Ami, your mom and I are out of town. I'll send guards to patrol around your place.]_

I sighed in defeat. Something was definitely going on but my dad wouldn't tell me anything - just like he always did.

"Fine,"

[_Amu, do you remember where I hid your gun?]_

I unconsciously gulped. "Yeah, why?"

[_You might have to use it,]_

"O-Okay,"

[_I love you, Amu,]_

"I love you, too, Dad," and then he hung up.

I stared at my hands. My fingers were trembling vigorously. Dad said I'd only have to use a gun when he's gone. Like gone gone. As in dead gone.

Why would he say that? What was going on? My desire to find out was starting to overpower me. But what should I do? Go to the house and investigate? No. A direct instruction like that shouldn't be ignored. But what?

I would die if anything happened to them. But not before I killed their attackers first.

* * *

Sorry for the slow update! Blame Ikuto onii-sama for that. Hohoho! He's still a no-show, huh? Maybe if I received more reviews he'd show up in the third chappie. Okay, I'll update as soon as my writer's block is cured. Again. Please review! Thanks :))


	4. Chapter 3: The Duke and The Duchess

**CHAPTER 3:**

My Lamborghini purred its soft purr as the engine slowly died down. In two weekends in a month, students from Charanari High were allowed to go home to their parents. And this was one of those weekends. Supposedly, I was going home but since I received that call from Dad, I had no choice but to go to an alternative home instead.

I casually glanced around, eventually noting several familiar faces surrounding my condo building. Dad wasn't exaggerating about the security, though I doubt there was anything to exaggerate about.

I had just climbed out of the car when I felt the unmistakable feeling of a person's body heat behind me. Responding to instinct, I spun around, bracing myself for an encounter with a possible assassin.

Someone gasped and I raised my fist to hit him. The person was hooded, looking like someone hired to do the dirty work. I dropped my hand and kicked his shin instead. The hooded person yelped more in pain than surprise. He fell down the concrete, clutching the spot where my foot hit him. The mafia guards started to move towards us but then my attacker's hood fell and lilac hair popped out. I held up my hand to prevent the security from going any closer. The person in front of me wasn't an assassin - more like stalker.

He wore the boys' uniform of my new school - black jacket with lapels on top of a white button-down shirt and a black tie. And now that I've taken a full look at him, he was also wearing the familiar blue plaid pants. The boy stood up and patted the dust off his pants.

"What the hell did you do that for? Do you even know me?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

"You were breathing in my ear. It's normal for anyone to do that," I said.

He ran his hand through his lilac hair. "I wasn't breathing in your ear," he mumbled then whispered something like, "I was just curious,"

I walked past him but didn't get that far. He grabbed me by the wrist and forced me to face him.

"You don't recognize me? At all?" he asked irritated.

I lifted one brow at him. The guy was acting like a celebrity who didn't get noticed in public. He stared intently at me, his strange, electrified blue eyes boring into my topaz ones. I unconsciously scoffed. Clearly, this guy didn't notice that I wasn't interested in him.

I slowly shook my head.

His face showed several expressions all at once. Shock, confusion, disbelief and...pain? But it was all gone in a blink. With one swift move, he flipped his hair and pushed me against my car, pinning me there as he put his hands on the spaces beside my face. His blue eyes narrowed at me as he moved his face closer to mine.

"I'm one of the Knights, Fuwa Kiseki," he said, his breath sending a weird lavender scent to me.

I hitched my breath and grabbed his arm. I was getting really annoyed with this Guardian stuff. Couldn't they just accept that they won't ever matter to me? Right now, my life's possibly in danger and knowing all of those damn Guardians' names is the least of my problems.

"Look, I don't really have time for this," I said and pushed him away.

* * *

"No way!"

"That's not true!"

"It can't be!"

"Nooooooooooo!"

It was early Monday morning and the school was already so noisy. I knew I should've stayed in my condo instead. Apparently, my family wouldn't be back until next week. They were trying to lead the assassins away from our original house though I didn't know what the point of leaving me behind was.

I leaned against my locker and stared impassively at the crumpled heap of drama queens on the floor. The three of them stopped right in front of me moments ago and looked back and forth from me to their iPads. They looked like they were comparing me with something.

I decided to completely ignore them but it was really hard to when they lay on your path. One girl took one last look at her iPad and then whimpered. Then, she pulled on her ginger hair and let out a frustrated groan. The other girl stood up, but was wobbly so she clung to one of the lockers' handle.

"Tell me," she said, "why'd you do it?"

_Huh?_

"Do what, exactly?" I asked. Normally, I'd just walk past her but her two friends were blocking my way.

The girl hesitated, like what she was going to say would hurt her. She glanced at the drama queens on the floor and sighed.

"The thing that you did with Kiseki-sama...why did you do it?" she finally asked.

The thing I did? Was she referring to our encounter last Friday? When I kicked one of their precious Knights? I looked cautiously at her. How did she know about that? She clutched on her iPad as she waited for my answer. I sighed. Of course. That bastard of a knight have probably told the whole school about last Friday already. I should've known.

The girl cleared her throat. "Well?" I didn't notice her friends getting up but now they're on their feet, as well.

"Because I felt like it," I simply said.

The three of them gasped in unison. One girl grabbed me by the arm.

"And he just let you?" she asked, her eyes...hopeful?

I shrugged and looked past them. I saw a flicker of purplish-blue hair slide inside my homeroom. Must be Yoru.

"Did he just let you do it?" the girl prompted.

My focus shifted back to them. "He didn't have a choice,"

"How did it feel?" another asked excitedly.

And I thought they practically worshipped those Guardians. Now they're asking me how it felt to harm one of their idols? Did something big happen that I wasn't aware of?

"It was satisfying," I shrugged again and walked away.

* * *

I slumped on my chair. That Nikaidou guy was having his weird moments again. He was dressed as Shakespeare's Romeo and asked one of the female students to participate as Juliet. I really thought he was pulling our leg. I mean, who would want to recite romantic lines in front of a whole class to a teacher? But it turned out that he was dead serious about it. That shouldn't have surprised me. I felt he was that crazy when I first saw him. But the craziest thing was that the other girls practically killed one another for the role. That totally caught me off-guard.

So now, we were forced to listen as Old Man Nikaidou and Saaya recited lines I would never - not in this life and probably in any other life - say.

"Romeo! O, Romeo! Wherefore art thou, Romeo?"

I yawned and rested my head on my hand. Sleep was slowly claiming me. I wasn't able to sleep well last night because I was worried sick about my family. So now, I was paying the price.

Another yawn escaped my lips and I forced my heavy eyelids to stay up. But the more I fought, the harder it got.

BAM!

A loud sound and a striking pain shot me back to consciousness. I rubbed my forehead, where the searing pain came from. The students were looking my way and Nikaidou and Saaya have stopped their act. I was caught red-handed - or in this case, red-foreheaded.

With a stern look on his face, Nikaidou sent me out and gave me a detention slip. Great. Third day in class and I already got detention. So much for creating a low profile.

* * *

I was halfway to Physics class when a certain indigo-haired girl caught up to me.

"Amu-chan!" she greeted, her ponytailed hair swaying behind her.

At first I ignored her and just kept walking. No one outside my family ever called me 'Amu-chan' because they knew I didn't like the familiarity. That was why there was an unspoken rule not to call me that. Though clearly, Nadeshiko wasn't aware of it.

"Are you heading to Physics class?" she asked enthusiastically, all high-pitched voice and smiles.

I nodded.

Her smile even became broader, showcasing her flashy perfect teeth. "That's great! Let's go together!" she said and linked her arm to mine.

I automatically took my arm away. "Actually, I prefer to be on my own," I said in the most nonchalant tone I could.

Nadeshiko's giddy face dropped. And for a moment there I thought I felt annoyed with her but then it vanished when I saw her boyfriend walk towards us.

Tadase had a trail of heart-eyed girls swooning behind him as he marched to our direction. His red-violet eyes were fixated on Nadeshiko. The expression on his face almost looked pleading. But the way he walked told a different story. It was like he knew girls were trailing behind him and he was screaming that he was loving it.

The girl beside me clung to my arm again and this time I let her. I suddenly knew she was hurt, but for what reason, I didn't know. Now, I had the nagging feeling that she needed someone to cling to.

We stopped walking just shy of the Physics Lab. Nadeshiko's fingers were trembling on my arm. Suddenly, Tadase's fan girls were nowhere to be found and the hallway was almost deserted. Except for the three of us.

"Nade-chan," Tadase tried to reach out but Nadeshiko hid behind me. The pain she oozed gave me the sudden urge to slam my fist on this blonde guy's pretty face. Lucky for him, I held back.

He brushed his girl-like fingers on his hair, his eyes not once leaving Nadeshiko's face. "Please, hear me out," he pleaded. Unconsciously, I wondered how many times this scene happen.

Nadeshiko cringed behind me, as if Tadase's mere voice hurt her physically. "Go away," she said with an almost non-audible voice.

Pain registered on Tadase's face and I knew I had to leave the both of them now. This wasn't my place. I reached for Nadeshiko behind my back and tried to peel her hand off my uniform. But her hand clutched on my jacket even harder.

Tasade took another step forward. "Nade-"

"I don't want to talk to you ever again, Tadase," Nadeshiko's voice came out as a whimper but the message was clear. It was over between them.

"A-Are you...breaking up with me?" his voice shook. Obviously, he wasn't expecting this to happen.

Nadeshiko came out from behind me and wiped her eyes. Her face was all blotchy but determination was set hard on her features. "I should've done this a long time ago,"

Tadase nodded. His eyes shone with unshed tears. I almost walked away but Nadeshiko's tight grip on my arm held me back.

Somehow, I felt sorry for the guy. Maybe Nadeshiko was being too hard on him. But I didn't know what happened so, I didn't have the right to conclude yet.

The blonde guy started walking away and Nadeshiko rushed to the door. She silently slipped inside but not before hearing Tadase saying:

"I still love you and I always will,"

* * *

Another yawn escaped my lips for the nth time this day. I was so beat up I probably couldn't walk my way to the dorm. Fortunately, I still had a three-hour detention today. I'd probably just doze off there. But if that still wouldn't be enough, I'd-

The sound of a tray dropping on the cafeteria floor made my head shoot up. I looked around. Everyone seemed to look at only one direction. Still slightly sleepy, I followed everyone's gaze and saw two girls arguing - one blonde, one indigo-haired.

"I need my space! Can't you understand that?!" the indigo-haired one said. I noticed there was a pale pink tray resting near her feet, its contents spilled everywhere.

The blonde one slammed her fists on her hips. "Do you think leaving the Guardians will give you that space?" she countered.

Now that she mentioned it, I suddenly recognized the two girls fighting - Nadeshiko and Rima. The Little Queen's words earned gasps and whispers from the crowd. Seriously, couldn't they just watch and make no sound? Or much better, not watch at all?

"Nadeshiko-sama is quitting?"

"Why?"

"Is she going to transfer schools?"

Nadeshiko held on the metal railing, as if she needed to support herself again. Somehow, deep inside me, I wanted to console her to make her feel better.

"Please understand, Rima-chan. I've already talked to Yoru-kun about this. He fully supports me," Nadeshiko said.

Rima threw her hands up in frustration. "Of course, he supports you! The guy is a total jerk!"

Nagihiko came up from behind Rima and put a hand on her shoulder, "How 'bout we just let Nade-chan decide, huh, Rima-koi?"

The little blonde's fierce stance suddenly melted away. It was clear she had no match for Nagihiko's sweetness. She was about to say something when Nadeshiko suddenly bolted out of the cafeteria.

Without using my mind at all, I grabbed my things and hurried after the indigo-haired girl. Somehow I felt compelled to make sure she was okay. Not that I really cared. It was their mess. There was no need for me to get tangled up with these guardians again.

I glanced around, looking for signs of an indigo-haired girl. The hall was deserted, probably because everyone else was still enjoying lunch hour. The soles of my shoes clashed against the shiny floor. That sound was the only thing I heard in the deafening silence. I was just about to forget about looking for Nadeshiko when I heard voices not too far away.

"Are you really sure about this?"

"Yes,"

"Think clearly. You can't go back once you've given up your Chair,"

"I know that,"

The first voice was unfamiliar to me. But I was pretty sure the second one belonged to Nadeshiko. Their talk had me wondering. They seemed to treat the Guardians like complete royalty. I decided to go near them because I really hate eavesdropping. And I think they wouldn't really like it if I did, too.

"Nadeshiko, daijoubou?" I asked as soon as I was close enough.

Two heads shot up in surprise. It was as if they really didn't hear me walking - or that they just didn't think I'd go near them. I stared at Nadeshiko's blotchy face. She was hugging herself tightly as if she'd shatter if she let go. Obviously, she had been crying. And I felt a little sadness for her again.

"A-Amu-chan!" she gasped.

The boy beside her pushed his glasses to up his nose bridge and glanced at me. I noticed he wasn't one of the Guardians. Who knew the 'high ones' also socialized with people other than themselves?

The boy raised an eyebrow at me and crossed his arms. He had dark green hair that almost looked black dangling to the slides of his face. His light blue eyes stared at me impassively.

I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes at him before I spoke to Nadeshiko.

"Daijoubou?" I asked again, already feeling awkward that she haven't answered my question yet.

She nodded subtly. "Daijoubou," she said but the crack of her voice in the last syllable said the opposite.

I clenched and unclenched my fists. The pain in her voice made me want to beat someone in a pulp. I wondered what was wrong with me. Normally, I wouldn't care any less about anyone besides my family but now I just don't know.

The boy cleared his throat over the awkward silence. He put his hand on Nadeshiko's shoulder. "Why don't you girls talk for a while? We'll discuss your matter later,"

Nadeshiko nodded, "Arigatou, Kairi-kun,"

The tall guy called Kairi turned his back and walked away but not before sending me a meaningful stare. Like he was trying to tell me to talk Nadeshiko out of quitting the Guardians. My left brow quirked up but he was already on his way. Why would he send me that message? Was he crazy? Or maybe I just depicted it wrong. Either way, I wouldn't do anything. If quitting that group was really that big of a deal, then the decision should rest on Nadeshiko herself.

"Amu-chan..." Nadeshiko whispered, effectively snatching me away from my internal babble.

I looked at her. "Nani?"

**[nani=what]**

"E...to, did you have something to tell me?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with hope.

I thought for a while. What did I want to say to her? Did I have anything to tell her at all?

Slowly, I shook my head. "Do you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, her brows knitted.

"Do you have anything to tell me?"

"Actually, there's something I want to ask you," Nadeshiko's voice was still raw, like she was trying real hard not to cry all over again.

I shrugged. "What is it?"

She inhaled deeply and sighed. "If there was something you've been doing for a long time and you thought that you really wanted it but then a time came when you needed to stop doing it, what would you do?"

I stared at her. I knew she was talking about herself. She was asking me about my opinion on her decision.

"That depends," I simply said.

"On what?"

"On which matters more to me: what I wanted, or what I needed," To me the answer was easy. My needs would always be more important than my wants. But clearly, my answer was still a little vague to the girl.

She sighed again, this time a lot heavier than the earlier one. "What if you both need it?"

I shrugged. "Well... You just have to know which one is you need more,"

"You're right," she nodded, looking like she thought everything finally made sense. "Arigatou,"

I fidgeted with my uniform, avoiding the unfamiliar feeling of gratitude towards me. I mentally shook my head. I've pushed myself too far.

Nadeshiko tugged at my sleeve. "Ne, Amu-chan...I have another thing to ask you. But if you feel uncomfortable answering it, it's okay if you don't,"

"Nani?"

"Are...uhhh...you and...uhhh-"

"Get on with it already," As much as I wanted to help this girl, I was still the same person who got impatient real quick.

She twirled her ponytail around her finger, looking curious yet uncomfortable. I was about to snap when she suddenly blurted, "Are you and Kiseki-kun dating?"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

Hello! I'm going to college soon and I think I'll be updating quite less often. No worries though, cause I'll probably post two or three chapters every update so that I won't leave you hanging ^o^v

And as for my other stories, I'm really starting to get disappointed in myself for not working harder to find that notebook. I'm really sorry for that guys. I swear before I go to college I'm really going to find that darn thing.

Anyways...enough rant for now. Please don't forget to review ^w^

With all the love for writing,

Lace Ashdown

P.S. Sorry for any typos. My dad's kinda rushing me so I didn't have time to check it. Sorry!

P.P.S. Follow me on Twitter TheAshdown. I will be listening to your requests and other comments there. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 4: In His Mercy

**CHAPTER 4:**

"Are you and Kiseki-kun dating?"

"WHAT?"

Nadeshiko squinted. I probably let out my voice louder than I thought again. But who wouldn't react the way I did? First of all, I just barely got transferred here. Did I look like some kind of a slut? Second, I wasn't really into the dating thing. And third, who would want to date that lilac-haired, hot-air-filled, conceited, bastard of a guy?

"It's just that...a picture of you two was posted in Charabokku," she said.

I was left speechless. Charabokku was Charanari High's official social media site where students post their thoughts, pictures, school activities and many other stuff that aimed to gather more students to enroll in the school. But, seriously, it was just the main source of gossip in the campus. What picture could possibly indicate...I uncharacteristically shivered. The thought was too much.

Nadeshiko fumbled with her iPhone. As soon as she found what she was looking for, she showed it to me with uncertainty etched in her expression.

It was a picture posted in Charabokku with 342 shares and 2614 comments. The last comment actually said what was on my mind: Oh hell.

* * *

I was still fuming with fury by the time I got to my dorm room. Thank Dad I had no roommate. Or else I probably had thrown her out because of my agitation.

I finally understood what the fuss with the girls this morning was all about and I wasn't one bit happy about it. The vase resting on the side table I kicked crashed, sending shards of glass all over my beautifully tiled floor. I grabbed a lamp and threw it across the room where it shattered in a million pieces. The urge to go extremely violent was taking the best of me. I was usually in control of my temper but I felt like the assault this time was really overboard.

The picture Nadeshiko showed me was - no doubt - the work of a stalking, deranged idiot with the dream of becoming a lowlife paparazzi. It was taken from the perfect spot, the perfect angle to make it look like something it was not.

I grabbed my baseball bat and swung it towards the gigantic potted plant in my room. Soil and roots freed themselves from the pot and dirtied up my already chaotic floor. The caretaker would have a fit when she saw this.

Not caring about the caretaker at all, I threw another vase across the room for the final blow. It flew right through my balcony and landed on the ground with...no sound? I rushed to see what happened, suddenly nervous that I possibly, unintentionally hit a student or someone downstairs.

I peered down my balcony and came face to face with the most unusual guy I have ever seen. He was clinging on the balcony's railing by one hand and was holding the vase I threw in the other. Any other girl would've probably screamed their lungs out if this were to happen to them.

But I wasn't really the screaming type, so I stayed still.

The strange guy's hooded eyes traveled south and the ghost of a smirk played across his face. I suddenly felt blood rush to my cheeks, clearly aware that I was only wearing a thin, almost-see-through camisole above my pale blue star-studded bra.

"Oh, shit!" I immediately turned and crossed my arms over my chest, trying indignantly to cover as much as possible but helplessly failing in the process.

I heard the guy land behind me with a thud. He set my vase on an empty coffee table and rounded me. I backed away instinctively. Could it be possible that he was an assassin sent to deliver me my unwelcome death? Did the other group already find me?

My head snapped up to face him, my arms still over my chest. I was mentally calculating the time of me getting away and him catching up when his eyes travelled farther down. Why the hell did he keep on staring at me? Damn.

I spotted my robe nearby, grabbed it and put it around me. My hands fumbled with the rope-thing on my robe and tied it hard. And I paled. Not that I tied it too hard but because when I glanced down to reach for the ropes, I suddenly saw that I was only in my panties. My FREAKING panties!

Blood rose to my cheeks again, painting my pale skin a flustered red. I never thought I was ever embarrassed as much as I was right now. The boy in front of me chuckled a mocking laugh, like he was seriously amused at my own expense.

"Well, as much as I love to catch falling vases from balconies and enjoy beautiful views as such, I also need to see my sister. Where is she?" deep, husky voice erupted from the guy, giving me a strange shiver or two. Damn that cocky pervert.

"Excuse me?" I unintelligibly replied.

The strange guy hang his head to the side. "My sister. Are you her new roommate?"

I raised a brow at him. "No. I think you've mistaken my room for someone else's," I said, trying hard as hell to be polite despite the fact that he was all-out staring at me earlier.

I put more distance between us. Much to my relief, the guy was wearing a loose black shirt on top of a skinny version of the plaid blue pants the boys in school wear. The guy was no mafia assassin. I was pretty sure about that because Dad did a background check on everyone from the school principal down to the janitors and dorm caretakers.

"You mean Utau's not here?"

"No,"

"Right. Sorry 'bout that," he said then mumbled something like, "Must be the wrong floor again,"

I took a step closer, suddenly getting the strange feeling of Deja vu. Everything suddenly felt like it happened already. Like I was experiencing something in the past all over again. But even before I could say a word, he had already grabbed the metal railing on my balcony and prepared himself to jump. Then he turned around to face me, "Nice undies, by the way," and left.

* * *

The incident last night made me distracted enough to temporarily forget about the chaos that horrifying picture in Charabokku did. I couldn't stop thinking about how badly I wanted the ground to open and just eat me up at that moment. That guy-

Books scattered on the floor along with a very disoriented little blonde. The students walking carelessly across the hall now came to a screeching halt. All heads were turned to the direction of the scene - including mine.

Rima was sprawled on the floor, her books and bag in total disorder. She looked like a mess the janitor forgot to clean up. Her usually soft-looking wavy hair now had several strands sticking out in all kinds of different directions. She was wearing an outfit of complete disarray and had black mascara staining her puffy cheeks in long stripes like she just cried.

Hushed voices came from the crowd.

"What happened to Rima-sama?"

"Why is she on the floor?"

"Look. Nagihiko-sama is not doing anything,"

The girl was right. Nagihiko was only standing there, a little too far away for his girlfriend's comfort. He had a strange detached expression plastered on his face. The little queen looked around and saw everyone staring at them. Her usual bitch facade crumbled right then and there. She ran towards the exit and didn't even bother to gather her things on the floor.

Gasps and whispers erupted from the crowd. Everyone was curious about what happened. I glanced at the direction Rima went and then back at Nagihiko. He was leaning on his locker door and had hands in his pockets. By the look on his nonchalant face, it was like nothing happened to his girlfriend at all - or that he didn't care anyhow.

I noticed his breathing was even and he even pulled out a set of headphones from his locker and put it on his head. Nagihiko was extremely casual for someone whose girlfriend just bolted out of the school crying. Then, he suddenly pulled out a piece of folded paper from his pocket. Somehow, I itched to walk right there and see for myself what was on the paper.

He unfolded it and stared, giving a noticeably heavy sigh after he saw what was inside.

"What are you looking at, Blue Star?"

That strikingly, terrifyingly familiar voice nearly made me jump. I didn't actually hope I wouldn't encounter him this day because face it, we were in the same damned English class. But I sure did hope I wouldn't run into him much earlier than that.

I spun around. "What the hell did you just call me?"

My voice bounced all over the hall and several students' heads snapped at our direction. Apparently, we caused a new different scene. Like this morning needed another one.

The strange, cocky pervert leaned closer, making stupidly uncontrollable blood rush to my face again. I caught his breath and he caught mine. He was THAT close. His peppermint breath engulfed me as he leaned closer. He stared at me with luring midnight eyes, his dark blue hair hanging seductively around his undeniably handsome face.

"Don't cause such a scene, Blue Star. People will see us," he said in a really hushed voice like we were doing something that we shouldn't do in public. As if we were - I cringed. I couldn't help it. This guy probably was the most seductive maniac I have ever encountered.

He put his hands on the either side of my face, boxing me in. I noticed he was wearing a hoodie and had the hood up on his head, covering most of his face from the crowd.

I tried to shove past him but the guy was like a pillar of solid cement. He didn't even move an inch.

"Get away from me, you bastard," I hissed as hostile as I could.

The blue-haired devil showed a terrifyingly sexy smirk, making me almost give in. Damn these hormones! He took a step closer, his eyes never once leaving mine. Our bodies touched and it sent shocking electricity through me. I felt another rush of blood coming to my face as he leaned in closer.

"You had me sleepless last night, my sweet. Did you know that?" he purred in my ear like a pervy cat.

His breath tickled me senseless. What the hell was happening to me? More importantly, what the hell was this guy doing?

I unconsciously noticed that no one was in the hall anymore but us. He could do whatever he wanted to me and get away with it. Oh, hell! What do I do?

"I'm Ikuto, by the way. Tsukiyomi Ikuto. Nice meeting you again, _Amu,"_

My knees started to buckle but I willed myself to stay still. He said my name like he was saying 'I want to have you'. The effect of this guy to me had me speechless. He was definitely, undeniably the King of Seduction.

But there's no way in hell that I'd be in his mercy.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**And there you have it! AMUTO :))**

**I was actually planning on being mean and dragging the story up to the tenth chapter with no Ikuto in it but Amu-chan swore she'd kill me if I did. (scary Amu-chan TwT)**

**I was scared as hell when she said that so I immediately sat in front of the computer and typed like crazy.**

**Anyway, I just went to college a month ago so I didn't get to update. Sorry about that "== I didn't get to bring my laptop cause it broke down, remember? But now my roommate brought hers so I got to do a fast update. We all have Em-em onee-chan to thank for that.**

**And just as promised, I'd have the 5****th**** chapter posted, as well.**

**Please don't forget to review. (And maybe you guys could wish me luck in college, too ^^) Thanks so much!**

**With all the love for writing,**

**Lace Ashdown**


	6. Chapter 5: Bloody Rulebook

**CHAPTER 5:**

Oh damn. My head felt like it would blow up any moment now. So far, I'd been thinking my head would split open over three hours ago. My thoughts were all blurry and my current teacher's voice sounded warped. I would probably hurl. Hell. I wouldn't want to embarrass myself here.

I dropped my pounding head on my desk, purposely shifting the teacher's attention to me. By my standards, I'd rather be sent to early detention than to puke my guts out in front of the entire class.

"Hinamori-san!" my she-devil of a history teacher screeched only a split-second right after my head reached my noticeably book-less desk. If there was anything she hated more than kids who hate learning history, it was kids who hate learning history enough to fall asleep in her class. Only this time, it wasn't my hatred towards her subject that led me to sleep.

My eyes voluntarily blinked several times, feigning that I was actually asleep a moment ago just so I would be sent to detention where I could spend the next four hours sleeping.

"Sorry…" I apologized and put on the sorry-I-fell-asleep act.

The she-devil slammed her hands on her waist and walked toward my desk like the strict teacher she was. "You know my conditions about sleeping in class," she said expectantly as if she was waiting for me to beg for forgiveness and let me stay in her horrifyingly absurd and boring class.

I nodded like the good student I should be.

She grimaced and then handed me the blue detention slip. Her eyes almost gored me to death but my evident fake sorry-eyes got to her. I grabbed my messenger bag and slung it casually over my shoulder. Thank Dad for my acting skills! I could finally rest my throbbing head.

* * *

The detention room was still devoid of delinquents but the rat-faced detention attendant was already sitting sternly on his desk, apparently waiting for the troublesome new arrivals.

"What are you in for?" the attendant asked and somehow the strange feeling of being in prison collided with the atmosphere.

"Sleeping peacefully," I shrugged and gave him the slip.

He glared like I wasn't supposed to talk but he said nothing. I sat at the far corner of the room with the rat-faced attendant still glaring at me. Aside from his face, his get-up was very professional. His glasses looked so clear it was almost transparent; his shirt was ironed crisp; and his shoes were very black and shiny.

I slumped on my desk and continued my headache-relieving, temporary death. Sleep was already starting to claim me when the back door next to my seat suddenly swung open. I tried to look at the next troublemaker but immediately decided against it. My head was pounding very painfully and there was no point cutting short my very-needed sleep.

"Pink hair. Your pink hair. I'd like to run my fingers through it…"

An obnoxiously familiar voice sang just a few feet away from me. I uncontrollably cringed. Who would sing a really weird and annoying song like that? Surely, someone who was completely out of his mind.

"Pink…pi-pi-pink hair! I'd like-"

"Fuwa-kun! Your noise is not really needed inside this facility," the attendant said with his ever stern voice.

My head shot up and came face to face with a lavender-haired jackass of a knight, making an uncharacteristic classic shriek come out of my mouth. The idiot grinned his I'm-glad-I-surprised-you smile and sat down beside me. Oh just friggin' great!

"How are you, my cherry?" the devil purred next to my ear.

What the freak? CHERRY? SERIOUSLY?

I dropped my head back to my folded arms on top of the desk. If only I had the strength to deal with this jerk, I would rip that grin off his damned face. But since I didn't, I'd have to settle for the second best option without getting myself in trouble – ignoring him.

"Why aren't you talking to me?" he asked as he toyed with my bubblegum hair. "We're the newest school couple now, aren't-"

Kiseki was suddenly dragged away by an unknown force - unknown because my head was enclosed in my arms. Maybe the Angel of Death finally felt like gracing Kiseki with his celestial presence. Oh, I could only hope.

Sounds of people punching each other echoed in the room. A chair tumbled down, rat-face stood harshly from his seat, boys grunted with every punch and I still had my head buried in my arms.

"What the fu-"

I snapped my head up, already annoyed with the unfortunately great-contributor-to-my-headache noise. A tall, short-haired guy was grabbing Kiseki by the collar and was probably going to punch him again. His silhouette was strikingly familiar but his dark blue hair was not familiar at all. Rat-face yelled at the boys but both paid no attention to him. It seemed they were very focused on whacking each other's faces.

Then, everything somehow went slow-mo. Rat-face rushed to the boys; Rima bolted in the room; the dark blue-haired guy slammed his fist on Kiseki's already swollen face; and Kuukai suddenly came from nowhere.

Rima put herself between the two boys and pushed Kiseki's assaulter away. "Stop! Damn it!" she yelled.

The boy froze…and eventually let go of Kiseki. He, then, turned and faced me, his honey eyes flashing all sorts of emotions where pain was the one that stood out the most. For unknown reason, I itched to comfort him. A part of me felt compelled to erase the pain of betrayal from his face. A bigger part of me just wanted to escape the awkward scene. I probably would've done that, too. But time was frozen.

Almost frozen.

The little blonde regarded me with brand new hatred and disgust. I looked at her with equal the intensity. Her glare only lasted for a few seconds then, she shifted her gaze at the battered knight with suspiciously too-sweet eyes. The Knight was a mess, his handsome face reduced to purplish bruises. Deep down, I felt a LITTLE bit sorry for him however, my merciless character was in command, making me feel glad that vain bastard got what he deserved.

"You've gone too far, Nagihiko," Kuukai suddenly said, finally breaking the deafening silence.

Nagihiko let out an impatient sigh as he brushed his fingers through his extremely noticeable short hair. "The Knight broke two rules," he simply said.

The King then, turned, grabbed my wrist and dragged me away from the detention room.

* * *

Our footsteps echoed through the woods. The place was surprisingly filled with a peaceful ambience, making me want to stay here for a long time. Nagihiko was still not talking and was still not letting go of my wrist. The scene back in the detention room had me a little curious. Nagihiko was not the type of person to just hit someone for no reason at all. The two rules Kiseki broke were the proofs. I wanted to ask what the heck happened but it wasn't like me to pry.

We walked in silence for a few more minutes until we reached a huge rock overlooking a vast blanket of pine trees dotting the beautiful field behind our school. Nagihiko sat down the rock and pulled me beside him.

"Why are you so quiet?" he asked.

"Why are _you_ so quiet?" I asked back.

He chuckled heartily like he wasn't in a heated situation a while ago. I never thought Nagihiko was able to switch moods so fast. Though, come to think of it, I never did have deep thoughts about anyone in the school.

"Amu-chan?"

"What?"

"Aren't you curious about what happened back there?"

I uncontrollably chuckled. Though, I didn't have any reason to. "As I see it, the matter only involved you Guardians. And as far as I'm concerned, any Guardian business has nothing to do with me," I said.

Nagihiko moved to face me, his eyes now in agonizingly blank expression. "I never thought any of this would happen,"

"Any of what?"

"This wasn't supposed to be disclosed to the public but the Guardians have a rulebook created by the school's President. We were supposed to follow that no matter what. If anyone breaks even one rule, his Chair would be taken from him and immediate expulsion from the school will be given,"

My mind reeled at what he said. Rulebook? From the President? From the mafia lord? What kind of child's play was that guy doing? To think that Charanari High was a very prestigious school. Was he-

Nagihiko squeezed my arm, shifting my attention back to him again. "Kiseki already broke two rules and Rima broke one. Both of them would be already scheduled for expulsion next week if their actions were found out,"

"How would they be found out?" I asked, already curious of the information he supplied.

"The King is assigned to report directly to the President if any Guardian is to break a rule," he said as if quoting a line in the book, "And if the King fails to do so, he, too, would be expelled from the institution and the Assembly will be granted permission to choose the next set of Guardians,"

I snapped my head to his direction. He wasn't facing me anymore. His hands were balled into pale fists and he was slightly trembling as he stared at the mossy ground. I knew he wouldn't tell on the Knight and the Queen. That would mean if they were found out, he would be expelled, too.

"Was that why you were mad at the two of them?" I asked.

Nagihiko shook his head firmly. "I wasn't mad at them. I was mad at myself,"

"Why?" I couldn't help but ask.

He glanced back at me, his honey eyes boring into mine. "I never should've convinced them to join the Guardians. It wasn't anything everybody thought it was,"

What he was saying picked my interest. Hundreds of thoughts and conclusions popped in my mind as I tried to guess what kind of group the Guardians really was.

"What do you mean?"

Nagihiko sighed, as if weighing how much he should tell me or probably counting how many rules he already broke.

* * *

I tossed and tossed in my bed, incessantly reminding myself that I wasn't a robot and also needed to sleep. The clock read two-fifty-three in the morning but sleep was nowhere near me. I was trying to contact my family for the past six hours to tell them the information I gathered but all of their phones were out of coverage area. Though there was nothing threatening about what I found out, the fact that I can't reach them meant I was on my own for the time being. There was no telling when I could contact them again so I was stuck with the fifty armed men my Dad assigned to guard me.

_Tap! Tap! Tap!_

I took my sleeping mask off and peered at my balcony where the tapping came from.

_Tap! Tap! Tap!_

A shadow of a man cascaded through the glass sliding door. He was motioning for me to open the door. I rose from my bed and grabbed my baseball bat out of instinct. The shadow now was clearly that of a guy. He tapped again and I noticed that he was clutching his waist with his other hand. An alarmingly dark liquid pooled around his feet. He moved closer to the light of the moon and I immediately recognized his face – his bruised and bloody face.

I dropped my bat and rushed to the door, unlocking and sliding it open right away. He held on my shoulder and I could feel him already slipping away from consciousness.

"What the hell took you so long?" he said in his weakened, hoarse voice.

"Why are you-"

My breath got caught in my throat when I had a look at the dark liquid that stained my balcony floor. I looked at where his other hand was placed and saw that same dark liquid oozing through his fingers. The familiar rusty scent immediately filled the room. I nervously glanced back at his bloodshot eyes.

"Ikuto!"

My heart pounded against my ribs. Ikuto was turning pale. His body was shaking, but alertness was still visible in his stance. Then, he suddenly dropped on the floor, eventually staining my white tiles with crimson blood.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Is it getting interesting yet? I hope so. ^w^ Anyways, please review! Arigatou. Mwa mwa!**

**With all the love for writing,**

**Lace Ashdown**

**P.S.**

**Don't hate me for hurting Ikuto T_T I'm also saddened by it but I need it to complete the story. Gomenasai!**

**P.P.S.**

**Watch out for the story's twists and turns. (insert evil laugh here)**


	7. Chapter 6: Damned Imaginative Mind

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
Just like any other amateur author, I also made a mistake. The thing was, I probably confused you guys in the 5th Chapter where this part was written:**

**"My mind reeled at what he said. Rulebook? From the President? From the mafia lord? What kind of child's play was that guy doing? To think that Charanari High was a very prestigious school. Was he-"**

**Now, what I'd like to explain is that...e to...Remember when Amu said her father was able to pull all the right strings again just so she could enroll one more time? I forgot to put that the real owner of Charanari High was a mafia lord whom Tsumugu (Amu's dad) saved in a mafia brawl years back. So in that part (up there), the President that Amu was referring to was her father's friend a.k.a. the mafia lord.**

**That's it. Sorry for the confusion!**

* * *

CHAPTER 6:

Repetitive and annoying banging on the door shook me awake. With a yawn, I rolled over, determined to ignore the annoying person who fearlessly tried to wake me. The door banged again, this time much louder. I, with eyes still closed, moved closer to the center of my king-sized bed. Suddenly, I felt a warm thing snake around my waist. I tensed but didn't move for the fear that the slender thing around my waist could be a snake. And with no preamble whatsoever, I was pulled into a warm, firm chest with a scent so sweetly intoxicating I probably would've gone to heaven if I was good.

Still adjusting to the shock, I slowly opened my eyes and came face to face with the pained face of a sleeping angel. My subconscious mind reeled at the fact that I was face to face with an angel. Why was his expression pained? Was I in heaven? Shouldn't I be in hell? Or was this really hell and the reason this angel was pained was because he fell from heaven? Then, wha-

Another loud bang on the door shook me from my internal rant. This time not only because the banging was so loud but because my beautiful, solid door was kicked from its hinge and fell on the floor, broken.

"What the fuck?"

I blinked several times, willing my consciousness back into my system. The guy from outside looked around and our eyes connected just in time I recalled everything that happened last night. Fast adrenaline rushed through my veins as I hurriedly sat up, leaving the sleeping angel on my-

"Oh, shit!" I suddenly cursed out loud as more details of what happened last night reeled in my mind. That was no angel in pain, more like angel OF pain.

I nervously glanced back at Yoru. His usually combed hair was unruly and his clothes were crumpled. He looked exactly like someone who just got out of bed. But his cocky yet still worried grin said otherwise. I tried to open my mouth to talk but the weird, purplish-blue-haired guy held up his hand to stop me.

"I know, I know," he said like an understanding person should. "He was hurt and you took care of him. Then, both of you got carried away and this is what happened," he nodded and gestured at our direction.

My brow quirked up. "What the hell could you possibly mean, Yoru?"

His golden eyes became rounder, as if in innocence, "You mean nothing happened?" then, he looked at Ikuto with disbelief, "I thought he would still be in the mood even in that state," he added when I didn't reply.

"Shut up, Yoru!" I felt blood rush through my veins so fast I thought they'd ooze out of my eyes. Was he saying that he thought that we...that something...that we had...Oh, shit. He couldn't possibly think of that, could he?

Yoru stepped closer to my bed, his expression already serious. Talk about bipolar.

"What happened?" he asked, finally devoid of any malice.

I got out of bed and found the nearest thing I could wrap around myself and shrugged it on. "He didn't get to tell me. He already lost consciousness just a few minutes after he entered my room,"

* * *

The pages of the book flipped as the wind blew its way to me. Reading usually made me think clearer but this time nothing seemed to repair the damage the newly-found information did to my brain. The facts just wouldn't add up. Whenever I thought I had finally understood the situation, another thought comes up and destroys the conclusion I have so carefully calculated in my mind.

With a devastated sigh of impatience, I shut the book and faced the person in front of me who happened to be patient enough to stand there in silence, obviously wanting to talk to me but wouldn't say anything unless I rose up to face her.

"What do you want?" I asked with the same nonchalant mask I always put on.

She jumped enthusiastically, her ginger hair in pigtails bouncing as she did. "I suppose you know me already," the girl said expectantly.

I flicked my eyes to her side, spotting another girl approaching me sporting the same red plaid cape she wore. "As much as I don't like to disappoint you, but I'm afraid you don't look familiar to me."

The child's face dropped and her light brown eyes darkened and gazed me with scrutiny. "So, it's true," she whispered more to herself than to me.

"What's true?" the other girl with very light, very thin, brown hair asked as she finally stood beside the gingerhead.

The first girl whispered to her comrade and her comrade looked at me with her periwinkle eyes and nodded in return. Their whispered exchanges lasted for at least a few seconds until I finally got bored and walked away.

Only then did they have the right mind to talk to me again.

"Wait up!" periwinkle eyes called.

I decided to ignore the childish duo and walked straight to my next class. So the rumors were true - whatever the rumors were.

"Hey! Wait!"

I looked back and stared at them with as much disappointment as I could. "What the hell could you two possibly want with me?" I snarled.

The duo gave me the you-know-that-is-a-bad-word look but eventually shrugged it off when I didn't respond.

"You have to meet the Royal Guardians tonight. We need to speak privately with your kind," ginger-hair said in a very Twilighty voice.

MY kind? What the hell did she mean by that? Like we were some other different kind or something. Again, those Guardweebs proved me correct about their weirdness.

"An audience with you people would be an honor!" I sarcastically exclaimed.

The other girl's periwinkle eyes widened in wonder and excitement. "Really?"

"Of course!" I said, my voice lifting, "If I was a nut head like you two," I added and finally walked away from them.

* * *

I was passing through the abandoned music room when I heard hushed voices speaking simultaneously. Not that I normally would be intrigued by these kind of scenes, in the mention of my name, however, made me pull into a screeching halt.

"You can't continue protecting that girl forever!" a male voice whispered but the anger in his voice was gravely evident. (let's call him Angry guy)

A heavy sigh escaped from someone else's lips. "Amu isn't supposed to be here. She'll get dragged farther in this mess if she doesn't go," (this would be Sigh guy)

"There's nothing you can do about it. You know that, don't you? The only thing we can do now is to lessen the casualties - even if it bores me to death to do that," the other one said. (and this is Bored guy)

Someone banged at the door - LOUD. "You treat this matter like it's some kind of game!" Angry guy nearly yelled.

"What?" Bored guy drew breath in, "What I said is the truth! Hinamori Amu IS a bomb! We don't know when she'll detonate or IF she detonates. The only thing we know is how grave the casualties would be if that happens,"

A chair screeched like someone just stood up from it. "She won't explode, I'll make sure of that," Sigh guy said and then sighed again.

I was pinned to where I stood. They we talking about me and worse, they talked about me like I was a nuclear weapon made to bring mass destruction. But that's what I am, right? I was trained at a young age to kill and protect; protect and kill. I didn't show my emotions much that's why no one could use that against me. Could I possibly be what they said I was?

There was clattering of things and chairs were moved. If it wasn't for that noise, those three men would've probably found out that I was intently listening to their conversation.

I walked past the room, careful to make any noise as I climbed a flight of stairs. Outside, thunder rumbled and the clouds started to gather on top of our school. Bad omen.

My shoulders sagged as I finally reached the third floor. The hall was deserted. Of course, what would I expect? Lunch break ended over a half hour ago. Which means-

"Oh dear God, I'm late!" a motherly, girly voice groaned from below the stairs.

"YOU'RE late? What about us?" a girl with a little bit low-pitched voice said.

"Go girls! Fight! Fight! Fight! We shouldn't be late, 'coz that's what teachers hate!" a weird, yet energetic voice cheered.

A small feminine chuckle followed. "I hate to break it to you, Ran, but we're already late,"

"And that's all thanks to-OUCH!"

I looked down the stairs, a blonde girl was lying face down on the stairs. She must've tripped. The girl raised her head and saw me staring at her humiliated state. She then, blushed a furious shade of red and immediately pulled herself up.

"E...to, daijoubou-desuka?" I managed to ask out of awkwardness.

**[daijoubou=are you okay?]**

The girl nodded and bowed and headed straight to class. The other three girls: one with baby blue hair, one with magenta hair and one with gingery blonde hair color walked past me. I involuntarily squinted my eyes at them. They were strangely familiar. Like I've known them for quite a while.

The magenta-haired kid glanced back at me and whispered something to the blue-haired one. The latter then, glanced back at me and nodded to her companion.

_A bare whisper could end your lives._

I wanted to tell them that but decided against it. There was no point in doing that at all.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: (again!)**

**Yes, it's plain, bland, boring, etc. I know. Poor me! The midterms exam almost killed my brain. Anyway, since you guys have been demanding for an update, here it is! Tada! Remember, a lame update is still an update. So, yeah~**

**With all the love for writing,**

**Lace Ashdown**


	8. Chapter 7: Illusions

**CHAPTER 7:**

It's Saturday. Which means, I could go visit anyone I wanted to visit.

I dumped my duffel bag on the passenger's seat and glanced around the parking lot. My mafia bodyguards were still watching me like the most precious thing in the world. Supposedly, I was planning on seeing my family this weekend. But since I still couldn't contact any of them, I was left no choice than to go back to my condo unit.

"Amu-chan!" a familiar voice called.

Instinctively, I looked behind me and saw purple hair bouncing up and down as the owner of it ran towards me. My hand automatically rose up for a face palm but suddenly decided against it. This kid probably needs less stress now more than ever.

Instead, I tried to lift my face up for the best reassuring smile I could manage. "Nadeshiko," I greeted her.

"Are you going to see your parents?" she innocently asked.

I almost grimaced right there and then.

_If I only knew where they were.  
_

"Yeah," I lied.

Ndeshiko flashed me her famous 100-watt smile. "That's great! I'm going to visit my family, too,"

Feeling awkward at the conversation, I had no other choice than to nod. "Listen, Nadeshiko-"

I was cut off as rapid gunshots suddenly resounded throughout the parking lot. Luckily, I was able to grab Nadeshiko by the arm and hide her behind the car before she got hit.

_What the fck?  
_

The frenzied birds flew to all directions as gunfire caused reverberated chaos. After the series of gunshots - after thinking it was temporarily safe - I held Nadeshiko, prepared to drag her away from this mess, when the next batch of gunshots were suddenly fired at us. The next thing I know, I was thrashing around; violently flailing as I was being dragged way from Nadeshiko's helpless, bloodstained body.

"Amu-sama, we need to get you to safety now," one man - who was probably the in-charge of my father's men at the time - told me in business-like voice.

"No." I firmly denied. "You have to save her first. She's still breathing," I pointed at Nadeshiko's general direction.

His brow creased, as if what I said was highly indecipherable. "But, Amu-sama-"

I stood my ground, ready to save her myself. "I will not go with you if that girl dies!"

The man, probably realizing that he would never win against me, bowed and rushed to Nadeshiko's aid, hopefully able to save her life.

As soon as they were out of my sight, I looked back at the firework display of bullets and grenades at the parking lot. My car was in pieces; several lampposts were beheaded; some civilians were even shot down; but the worst thing I saw was the pooling blood in the center of the battlefield,.

Bile rose up to my throat but I successfully flushed it back. This was probably the worst Mafia battle I have ever encountered alone. I looked around, unable to just watch as others fought well, and spotted a shotgun. And right when I grabbed the gun, a hooded person suddenly stepped in front of me, making me shoot him by instinct.

The man clutched his wrecked shoulder, now enormously bleeding, and cursed me. He screamed in agony as he helplessly fell on the cold concrete. I backed away, utterly grossed out of all the blood, and bumped into a broad chest.

I turned around in a flash, afraid that it would be Death I bumped into, and held him at gunpoint.

"What the hell?!" he cursed, looking absolutely dumbfounded.

I gripped the gun firmly, ready to shoot him down if he makes the wrong move. "What the fck are you doing here, Sanjou?"

"H-Huh? Wha-"

I tackled him, fully realizing that we were out in the open. His eyes were guarded, but his voice was devoid of all but confusion.

_What game is he playing?_

"There were bombs. We have to get away fast," I finally said.

He stared at me like I grew a second head or something. "What bomb? There are no bombs, Amu,"

_Hinamori Amu IS a bomb!_

I turned around harshly, facing the traitor head on. "You're _that_ guy. You're one of them," I said grimly, realizing what was going on here.

Kairi arched one eyebrow at me. "One of what?" he asked

I raised my hand - the one supposedly gripping the 410 backpacker - and aimed at him.

"What...are you doing?"

My hand trembled - for only a while ago, it held a loaded gun. Now, what I held was a puny tree branch.

"Shit..." I dropped the tree branch and faced Kairi, suddenly on alert for sudden assaults.

But he only stared at me blankly like any minute now I would burst out laughing.

Suddenly, I noticed that the gunshots stopped, no bombs exploded and the chaos died down. The parking lot was completely deserted - not one body nor shells were present._ What the hell happened?_

"Damn it, Amu. What's happening to you?" Kairi's voice shook me from my internal rant. _Was this guy freaking serious?_

I looked into his eyes, searching any sign of feigned care in him. But it was either I failed to see it or that he was truthfully, earnestly, genuinely concerned.

"Hey, are you listening?" Kairi asked again, "What's wrong with you? Are you okay?"

I shook my head, completely baffled. Confusion made my head spin into a nauseating storm.

_Was I hallucinating?_

_No._

_That's impossible._

I looked around, searching for the guards my father appointed to me. They were the only ones left for me to prove that I wasn't going out of my mind. And there they were...with confused eyes as they watched me and Kairi. They were probably estimating whether to close in or stand by.

Kairi swept his hand across his forehead, swiping away the tangles of his dark green hair. "You fainted here, Amu," he said, "What happened?"

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Okay. I'm sorry. I know I promised a fast update but college life is sooooooo different than high school. One month of rest is over and here's your update. Please review XD Arigatou minna.**


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